Formed in 1963 in Muswell Hill, North London, they first gained prominence on the heels of the well-received and highly influential single "You Really Got Me" (1964). The group originally consisted of lead singer/guitarist Ray Davies, his brother lead guitarist Dave Davies, drummer Mick Avory, and bassist Pete Quaife. Quaife left (twice) in the late 1960s, and Avory finally left in 1984 as the result of a long-running dispute with Dave Davies, leaving only the Davies brothers as the core of the original group.
With Ray Davies' songwriting skills and unabashedly English voices, Dave Davies' impressive guitar work, and Avory's tight and steady drumming, the band became one of the best and most influential groups of British pop and the "British Invasion" of the U.S.A., lasting longer than any of their competitors, apart from the Rolling Stones, as they broke up in 1996. Their catalogue of songs has been covered by Van Halen, The Pretenders, The Black Keys, The Stranglers, Queens of the Stone Age , and many more.
Members:
Ray Davies – vocals, rhythm guitar (1963–1996)
Dave Davies – lead guitar, vocals (1963–1996)
Pete Quaife – bass guitar (1963–1969)
John Dalton – bass guitar (1969–1976)
Andy Pyle – bass guitar (1976–1978)
Jim Rodford – bass guitar (1978–1996)
Mick Avory – drums (1963–1984)
Bob Henrit – drums (1984–1996)
John Gosling – keyboards, piano (1970–1978)
Gordon Edwards – keyboards, piano (1978–1979)
Ian Gibbons – keyboards, piano (1979–1989, 1993–1996)
Mark Haley – keyboards, piano (1989–1993)
Rosie Won't You Please Come Home
The Kinks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mama don't know where you've been.
Rosy won't you please come home?
Your room's clean and no one's in it.
Oh my Rosy, how I miss you,
You are all the world to me.
Take a look and see if you like it,
Rosy won't you please come home?
Since you've joined the upper classes,
You don't know us anymore.
Live and let your troubles pass.
Rosy, Rosy, will you write and tell me,
If you don't want to come back?
I would sacrifice all I have
To have a happy home once more.
Rosy won't you please come home?
Two long years have passed away.
Since you tried to change your life,
Christmas wasn't quite the same.
Rosy, Rosy, got any answers?
You are miles across the sea,
And I'll bake a cake if you tell me
You are on the first plane home.
Rosy won't you please come home?
Mama don't know where you've been.
Rosy won't you please come home?
Your room's clean and no one's in it.
Oh my Rosy, how I miss you,
You are all the world to me.
Take a look and see if you like it,
If you like it please come back.
Oh Rosy, will you please come back?
The Kinks's song Rosie Won't You Please Come Home is a plea from a lover to his lost love, asking her to return home. The song begins with the singer addressing Rosie and asking her to come back home, as her mother doesn't know where she's been. The singer expresses how much he misses Rosie and how she's "all the world" to him. He asks her to take a look and see if she likes what she sees, and if so, to come back.
The second verse mentions how Rosie has joined the upper classes and no longer knows them. The singer tells her to let her troubles pass and asks if she's willing to write and tell him if she doesn't want to come back. He also mentions how he's willing to sacrifice everything to have a happy home once more.
The final verse reveals that two long years have passed since Rosie tried to change her life and Christmas wasn't the same. The singer asks if Rosie has any answers and mentions how she's miles across the sea. He even offers to bake her a cake if she tells him she's on the first plane home. The song ends with the same plea from the singer, asking Rosie to come back home.
Overall, Rosie Won't You Please Come Home is a nostalgic and emotional song about lost love and the longing for a happy home. The lyrics paint a picture of a person who is desperate for their loved one to return, and who is willing to do anything to make that happen.
Line by Line Meaning
Rosy won't you please come home?
The singer is begging Rosy to come back home.
Mama don't know where you've been.
Rosy's mother has lost touch with her and doesn't know her whereabouts.
Your room's clean and no one's in it.
Rosy's room is ready and waiting for her return.
Oh my Rosy, how I miss you,
The artist deeply misses Rosy and she is very important to them.
You are all the world to me.
Rosy is everything to the artist, their whole world.
Take a look and see if you like it,
The singer wants Rosy to come home and check out their efforts to create a good living space.
If you like it please come back.
The singer is hoping Rosy will like what they've done and decide to come back home.
Since you've joined the upper classes,
Rosy has moved up in society and may feel like she's outgrown her old life.
You don't know us anymore.
Because of her new social status, Rosy may feel disconnected from her family and old friends.
Live and let your troubles pass.
The artist encourages Rosy to let go of any personal issues and move forward.
Rosy, Rosy, will you write and tell me,
The singer wants Rosy to keep in touch and communicate with them even if she doesn't come back home.
If you don't want to come back?
The artist recognizes that Rosy may not want to return and is open to hearing her feelings.
I would sacrifice all I have
The singer is willing to give up everything they have to have a happy home with Rosy again.
To have a happy home once more.
The singer longs for the happiness they experienced before Rosy left and wants to restore that feeling.
Two long years have passed away.
It has been a significant amount of time since Rosy left home.
Since you tried to change your life,
Rosy left in an attempt to make a change in her life.
Christmas wasn't quite the same.
Rosy's absence was felt during the holiday season and things were not the same without her.
Rosy, Rosy, got any answers?
The singer is asking if Rosy has any answers or solutions to their problems.
You are miles across the sea,
Rosy is far away from home, across the ocean.
And I'll bake a cake if you tell me
The artist is willing to do anything to entice Rosy to come back home, even baking a cake for her.
You are on the first plane home.
The artist is hoping Rosy will come back home soon and take the first plane available.
Oh Rosy, will you please come back?
The artist is once again pleading for Rosy's return.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RAYMOND DOUGLAS DAVIES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@LarchenkoTF
Love the raw sound of the vocals, great one!
@paulalderson3755
Songwriting at its absolute best GSTK
@JuanPabloValleGalindo-io8mu
🤩🤩🤩👍👍
@kevinquinn4499
"Christmas wasn't quite the same..."